Dashed Dreams
by RWBYSage
Summary: Beacon's newest team has arrived! Follow the adventures of Team DASS as four starkly contrasting students are joined together to not only fight the evils of Remnant as huntsmen and huntresses, but also balance life at school, interacting with other students and learning how to deal with each other.
1. Chapter 1: Dashing to Beacon

The frost white Bronzewing NSX roared to a stop into a parking spot. There in front of it stood the prestigious Beacon Academy, gleaming in the broad daylight of the still fresh day. The school is abuzz with new students arriving for the beginning of the new semester.

Out of the supercar steps a boy with blush red hair clad in jeans, white boots, and a black t-shirt with a large #1 on the back. His silver eyes lock on the students hustling to make it to dorms and casually socializing over late breakfast.

 _Home, I suppose,_ he thought to himself as he stashed the keys in his pocket and walked toward the assortment of buildings. _Isn't this perfect? Just a peaceful morning drive with no speed cameras in sight. Not to mention no jetlag._ As this occurs in his mind, the boy looks over his shoulder to see a blonde teen vomiting into a garbage can. _Amateur._

The huntsman-to-be gazes down at the gold-encrusted watch around his wrist and reads the time: 10:30 AM. _I've got some time to kill. Maybe I should check and see if she's arrived yet._ He starts to wander his way toward the dorms.

While on his journey, almost all of the early morning commotion stops as the guy walks by. The amount of attention he was garnering was astounding. All of the surprised looks and the pointed fingers and the whispers of _"_ Is that really him?" from girls watching from a distance. He couldn't help but smirk. _Yeah that's right. I am that guy._ It seemed like nearly everyone looked up as if they recognized him.

One girl did what the others thought was unthinkable and approached the boy. With her 6 foot frame, she actually stood a couple inches taller than the boy. He smirks and checks out her body. She is dressed in a black shirt, a blue skirt, and blue knee-high boots with black and white stripes. Her long black hair consisted of blue streaks and flowed down her back.

"Oh my gosh! Are you REALLY him?! Are you THE Dash Wilder?" the girl asks with excitement. He flashes a smile at her and nods.

"That's right. Dash Wilder, heir to Wilder Industries, millionaire extraordinaire, and now huntsman-to-be." Dash smiles cockily. Sometimes he felt the façade of this conceit was unbecoming of him, but it felt so good. Regardless, he is very proud of his family heritage. He extends his hand to the blue-haired girl to go for a handshake. "And you are?"

"I'm Sapphire," she says gleefully while accepting his greeting. "Sapphire Hyacinth."

"A pleasure to meet you," Dash replies. _Damn! She is gorgeous! I need her on my team!_

"Sooooo," Sapphire continues, "I've heard plenty of rumors about what you did in Atlas. Are they true?" _Crap,_ Dash thought, _I still can't escape it. Life in the tabloids can be such a pain._

"You don't need to know what happened in Atlas. You've heard what has circulated and leave it at that," Dash responds somewhat bitterly. "How did you even hear about Atlas anyways?"

"I have my ways." Sapphire grins mischievously. "Nothing gets by me. But, where are my manners? One of the most recognizable people in all of Remnant and I'm questioning him like a reporter."

"I'm used to it at this point. It's practically my life," Dash says, the previous bitterness fading from him. "Sorry I got a little frustrated about it."

"I don't blame you. And to think I came here to Beacon searching for a good time and I start getting all nosy," Sapphire responds.

"Don't sweat it. Besides, if you end up on my team, maybe you'll learn more about it," Dash says as he smirks. He is hoping it would be an enticing offer to the huntress to get her and him together. Sapphire smiles in return, recognizing his attempt at flattery of wanting her on his team.

"I'll certainly keep that in mind. Why do you want me on your team so badly?" she questions, knowing the actual answer but enjoying toying with Wilder. "You haven't even seen me fight yet."

"Well um," Dash stammers while trying to calculate an acceptable response. "I'm sure you are an accomplished fighter in the heat of battle. You got accepted into Beacon, didn't you? You'll be a valuable asset to have as a teammate."

"Nice excuse," Sapphire says, laughing. Dash chuckles back and shrugs.

"Coming up with BS responses is a must-have trait when you're on every tabloid's radar. It's like a talent for me."

"Yeah, I'm an accomplished fighter, but you know nothing of how I fight and what I fight with."

"Well, what's your weapon?" he asks out of curiosity.

"You'll see soon enough. Who knows? Maybe you'll be my loyal teammate and help me stock and clean it." Sapphire smirks at him and laughs playfully.

"As if! I'm not cleaning anyone's weapon!" Dash smiles and laughs with her. However, Sapphire's weapon has caught the interest of Dash, as he thinks _, Stock? Ammo isn't hard to come by, even with rising dust prices. Why would she need help stocking it?_ He shrugs it off and stows the thought in the back of his mind to be reserved for later.

"Anyways, I got to go. I want to try and figure out where all my classes are. It was a pleasure meeting you Dash," Sapphire says.

Dash nods in agreement. "Same to you, Miss Hyacinth. Perhaps we could meet up in the next couple days?"

"Sounds good," she says before walking off to try and find her way through the lot of buildings that make up Beacon. Dash can't help but stare a little at her walking away, as if he was taking a little inspection. _Oh yeah, valuable asset was a good way to describe her,_ he thought. He turns around, adjusts his watch and the white fingerless glove on his hand, and approaches the several-story dorm building standing in front of him.


	2. Chapter 2: Reunions

Dash wanders his way up the stairs to the third floor of the dormitory building. As he strolls down the hallway and searches for the certain dorm on his mind, he panics as he starts to realize something: all of the doors to the rooms look completely identical. Every door was made of wood and stood at the same 7x3 foot dimensions, and there were several of them lining the hallway walls. Dash pauses to assess the situation, only to deduce that he has no idea where he is going.

 _Crap_ , he thought, _she only told me she was on the third floor! She never said which room it was. It could be any of these doors!_

He aimlessly walks a few more feet, passing up a couple more rooms, before stopping and realizing that he is going to need some help in order to get to his destination. He turns to face one of the dormitory doors. _Well, this one is as good as any, I guess. I just hope they can help._ Dash takes a deep breath and nervously knocks on the door, breaking the silence of the empty hallway.

A couple of seconds passed, leaving Dash standing awkwardly in the hallway to only contemplate his thoughts and the possibilities of what is waiting for him beyond that door. His train of thought was interrupted abruptly by a loud "I GOT IT" from inside that room.

The door swings open, and standing in the doorway before Dash is a short girl with orange hair as bright as her demeanor. Her gleaming turquoise eyes and wide smile met Dash with a look of sheer joy and hyperactivity. She looks like she is struggling with simply standing still, and is coping with that struggle by bouncing in place.

"HIIIIII! I'M NORA!" the huntress yelled at Dash. Wilder leans back, cringing slightly at her volume and having a desire to plug his ears. The previous silence of the hallway seemed like a distant memory that was jolted and ripped away from Dash compared to his surroundings now with Nora.

"Uh... hi, Nora. I'm Dash" he responds a little warily. He had no idea what to expect with his new acquaintance. _Great, I found a crazy one_ , he thought. Before he can ask Nora for directions and simply end this encounter quickly, a boy with a pink streak in his black hair and clad in a green tunic walks up behind Nora and places a hand on her shoulder in what looks like an attempt to calm her from her springing in place.

"Nora, go eat. There's another stack of pancakes waiting for you on the table," the boy said as calmly as Nora was energetic. She speeds around him to the kitchen table, almost tipping over furniture in the process, to settle down and start eating her fresh and fluffy pancakes. Dash uses that as an opportunity to peer over the boy's shoulder and examine the room, which seems normal except for an odd stain on the wall. _Wait, is that syrup?!_ A happy "Thank you Ren!" from Nora that came out muffled and unclear due to the pancakes in her mouth snapped Dash out of his thoughts.

"Sorry about that," the one known as Ren remarked. "Nora is always excitable. There's not much that can calm her down, especially with pancakes involved."

Dash puts on a smile and laughs softly under his breath. "That's ok I can understand. She does seem to be a bit of a handful. Are you two dating or something?" he ponders.

"N-no we're not, er I mean she's nice and all but we're just friends," the previously stoic Ren says as he shifts nervously in the doorway and his cheeks flush with the same faded shade of red as Dash's hair. Wilder laughs at this response.

"Calm down calm down I get it," he says, holding up his hand. "Just take it easy. I only meant it as an innocent question." As he says this, he once again looks over Ren's shoulder to see someone else in the room: a tall, beautiful girl with flowing red hair bunched into a ponytail. She is still clad in her pajamas and is holding a small comic book. Dash recognizes the girl and laughs as he calls out to her.

"Is that the most accomplished and dominant fighter in Mistral Regional Tournament history curling up in bed with the latest issue of _X-Ray & Vav_?" he teases. The girl looks up from her comic book somewhat stunned.

"Dash?" she asks in disbelief. "Dash Wilder, is that you?!"

"Hey Pyrrha," he says with his smile bigger and more genuine than before. Pyrrha gets out of bed, walks past Ren and toward Dash and meets her old friend with a hug tight enough to crack Dash's spine. He groans and tries to mask any pain with a small chuckle. Pyrrha still notices his slight grimace then puts him down gently while looking down to conceal her embarrassment.

"Sorry about that. I don't know what got into me there," she says, giggling.

"Don't worry about it. I get that response a lot from girls, ya know? I create feelings inside them that they themselves do not understand," Dash replies with a tinge of arrogance escaping from his voice. Pyrrha's smile fades at this point and she shoves Dash just hard enough to send him crashing into the wall. He is stunned. _Did Pyrrha Nikos just push me out of anger?!_ He looks up at the red-haired huntress that is towering over him and glaring at him with a look of disapproval.

"Cocky as ever. You still believe that last name entitles you to everything you want," she says with unusual bitterness. "But you know that isn't true. For four years, you couldn't buy a win in the Mistral Regionals," she remarks while a smirk forms on her face. Dash dusts himself off from his collision with the wall and tries to hide his frustration.

"That must be the distant past now because it seems the Spartan warrior has gone soft. Opting to spend her time feeding her closet _X-Ray & Vav_ obsession rather than training," Dash teases while trying to defend himself.

"I owned you then for four years straight and I'll prove I still do when the Vytal Tournament comes," she replies. Pyrrha knows she is beating Dash at his own game of arrogance and when she notices that Dash has realized this too, she smiles innocently, relishing in the moment. The only reply Dash could formulate is "Whatever." Pyrrha turns around slyly and bids Dash goodbye with a gentle wave.

"Oh and by the way, if you're looking for Weiss, she's right across the hall," Pyrrha says before disappearing behind the door, leaving Dash alone with his thoughts once again.

 _Great job, you idiot! You knew that comment was too far and you said it anyways! Now you managed to make possibly the nicest girl you know pissed off at you._ Dash's rising anger almost sent him into punching the wall he was previously pushed into, but he held back and calmed himself. _Punching a wall won't help so no use doing it. I'm not sure apologizing will either. I guess this means she's heard the rumors of Atlas too..._

After a couple moments of peace, his mind shifts from arguing with himself to his first impression of Team JNPR. _Well they are certainly... an interesting group, to say the least. Especially that Nora. Not my type, but that dude really needs to hook up with her. I mean, making her breakfast? It seems like he's secretly head over heels for her. But, never mind all that now! I finally found Ice Queen!_

Dash confidently strides up to Team RWBY's dorm and knocks on the door, pushing all other thoughts aside. He takes a deep breath to compose himself from the calamity that took place in that same hallway only moments prior. Once again, the silence of said hallway was unexpectedly pierced by what was waiting for him behind the door.

"IT'S ABOUT TIME! IT'S BEEN 45 MINUTES! IT BETTER BE FREE, BECAUSE 30 MINUTES IS 30 MINUTES!" Dash then hears a thud, as if someone had stomped their foot, then footsteps, getting louder as they approached him.

The door swings open and standing there was Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, the most powerful entity in all of Remnant. She was looking beyond cross, but all of that anger fades at sight of Dash. Glee takes over the snow white-haired Weiss as she smiles brightly and jumps to hug him. Two girls inside the room behind Weiss can be heard giggling and whispering in amazement.

"Wow. I've never seen Weiss this happy since Coco told her she could pull off a black dress," one girl, a blonde, says.

"Shut it, Yang!" Weiss retorts before turning back to Dash. "It's been too long, Wilder."

"Definitely. I've missed you, ice queen. And I can tell you've missed me. This might be the warmest and most welcoming that cold heart of yours has ever been," he responds. Weiss responds and gives Dash a sarcastic mean look, then smiles to see Dash is still his usual self. The busty blonde Yang walks up behind Weiss.

"So this has been the company you've been waiting on edge for," Yang voices while pointing at Dash with a gauntlet clad hand.

Weiss steps in to introduce her friend. "That's right. This is Dash Wilder, heir to Wilder Industries and soon to be leading partner of the Schnee-Wilder alliance, alongside me," she says confidently. While during this introduction, Dash, almost inadvertently, has zoned out and begun staring at Yang's chest. Once he realizes Weiss has stopped talking, he snaps back into reality and tries to play cool in hopes of no one noticing him.

"Yeah we've been friends since we were kids. And with the families always busy, we were kinda all we had. No one else there to really keep us company. So we got close," he added coolly. Yang smiles and nods in response before being cut off by the other girl in the room.

"Yaaaaaang. I'm hungry! What's taking the guy so long?!" the girl clad in red and black attire on the bed exclaims while polishing what appeared to be a giant scythe.

"Relax, Ruby. It can't be too much longer. Unless the delivery guy got in some sort of accident," Yang replies. "For his sake, he better have been. Because if he hasn't been in one, he's about to be." She clenches her fist, causing Dash to feel a little uneasy standing there. Yang then turns to Dash and ask, "You haven't seen a pizza delivery guy just laying around on the job, have you?" Dash shakes his head in response, to which Yang groans.

"Well this is certainly the last time we're ever ordering pizza from Holliday Pizzeria again!" Weiss says bitterly. "Oh and by the way Dash, blondie here is Yang and the one in the room is Ruby."

"A pleasure, girls," he says, smiling and extending his hand to Yang for a formal greeting. She meets his hand and shakes it with more grip than Dash was expecting.

"Yeah I've heard a lot about you recently," Yang remarks. "You've been pretty popular lately, magazine headlines and news stories. How's the fifteen minutes of fame feel?" He remains silent, suppressing any ill feelings toward the media attention he was garnering as of late.

"A lot of rumors flying about what happened on one night in Atlas. Care to confirm them?" she goes on. Weiss shoots her teammate a discontent, but before she can voice her detestation, Yang clamps a hand over her mouth and smirks. She turns again to Dash, awaiting a response.

"Look, just because you may have heard a bit of news a thousand times doesn't make it true. Don't believe everything you read," he replies in a monotone voice.

Yang giggles and sounds off in a sing-song voice "Will do" before uncovering Weiss' mouth.

"Yang! Quit that! I'm sorry Dash," Weiss exclaims with frustration. Dash doesn't respond, causing Weiss to get a little nervous. She talks again, "Perhaps we should go. We don t want to cause you to be late for any orientation rituals." She runs up and hugs Dash again before whispering in his ear, "Thanks for taking time to visit." This gets Dash to grin softly and join in the embrace by hugging back. She lets go, waves, then reenters her dorm as Yang approaches the transfer student.

"I caught that earlier. I'm flattered, I really am. But don't stare at my gauntlets for too long, ok? My eyes are up here," Yang whispers at him. Dash looks at her with a face of embarrassment to see her eyes a fierce red rather than their lavender color from before. The color drains from Dash's face, with obvious fear in his complexion. Yang laughs loudly then waves to bid Dash goodbye before shutting the door behind her.

 _Well, I'm not exactly making friends on the first day_ , he thought. _I'll make it up to Yang! And Pyrrha too! Somehow..._ His train of thought trailed off then completely derailed as he bumped into something his mind couldn't register at first. Upon a moment of study to figure out what happened, he sees a boy with brown hair on the floor with a sword lying next to him.

"Oops! Sorry man!" Dash spoke worriedly. He extended his hand, helping the boy up, then reached down to pick up his sword. He notices the word BRONZEWING engraved on the hilt of the blade. Dash recognizes the name as the car brand both he and his father prefer driving. He decides to use that as a talking point in order to build a bridge rather than burn it.

"So, you're a Bronzewing, eh? I gotta say you're family makes one hell of a car. Packs a lot of horsepower and handles the corners masterfully," Dash says with a smile.

"What's it to you, huh?!" Bronzewing replied angrily and rudely. _Ok, maybe making this friend is already a lost cause._

"Jeez man, sorry! It was only a compliment! Don't need to be such a jerk about it!"

Bronzewing glares at Dash and suddenly points the tip of his sword mere inches away from Dash's neck. "What did you just call me?!" he exclaims. Dash's eyes flash with surprise and anger. Bronzewing does not back down any until another boy clad in armor with long navy blue hair and a halberd on his back steps in between them.

"Don't worry about this fool, Dove," he says with a smirk. "We've got other newbies to initiate. Cardin's waiting for us." Dove smirks back at the guy in response.

"Sure, Sky. Lead the way," Dove answers while moving his blade away from Wilder's neck. The two share a chuckle before turning around and jogging down the hallway and out of Dash's sight.

 _Initiate? That doesn't sound good. Sounds like these guys are up to something and I don't care what it is! Nobody threatens Dash Wilder and gets away with it!_ Dash clenches his fist and his eyes begin to glow and flare a bright orange as he determinedly runs in the direction of Dove and Sky.

 _Can this day get any more hectic?_


	3. Chapter 3: Hectic

They say revenge is a dish best served cold. That proved to be ironic considering Dash Wilder's current state of mind. He was HOT! Hot under the collar! With one sole objective on his mind: payback.

 _I try making friends. I try being a nice guy and talk to others! And what do I get?! A sword to my neck! Unbelievable!_

Dash was running; he didn't even know where he was running. All he knew is that he was trying to catch up to the students known as Dove Bronzewing and Sky Lark. His fists were clenched and his eyes glowed a bright yellow as he sprinted down the hallway of the dormitory building. Nothing could phase his determination at this point. His environment was nothing but a blur. He shoulders his way between and past a pair of students, forcing one to drop a stack of papers he was holding.

"Coming through!" he yelled back to the ones standing in the flurry of papers, unaware or even uncaring if they heard his late reaction to pushing them aside. But, the more he ran, the more his reasoning of chasing them down shifted to another cause.

 _They said they were planning on "initiating" someone. Probably threatening the life of another new student. Poor guy…_

Dash's relentless pursuit led him outside the dorms and into a small area where the students could buy a snack and eat outside rather than eat in the cafeteria called The Signal Light. All of the usual activity was halted by an unexpected disturbance. Chairs and tables lay out of place and tipped over due to the center of attention. The crowd was very sparse but the few there did not intervene because they did not know what to do.

There stood Dove and Lark, the ones Dash were chasing, alongside two other boys. One was taller than the others, his brown hair combed aside and fit in battle armor, while the other had a mohawk and was clad in raggedy threads. All four of them had disrupted the serenity of the café and centered an attack on another boy, whose face was concealed under a gray hoodie.

 _You gotta be kidding me! This crap on the first day?!_ He sighs and collects his thoughts once more. _If someone has to be a brave soul…_

"Hey!" Dash yelled to the team of bullies. They all turn to look at Dash, somewhat surprised someone called them out. The few people looking on at this also are also startled at his sudden stepping up. He meets their surprise with his eyes glowing even more intense than before. He crosses his arms and stands there coolly and confidently, not feeling any danger.

"Ya know, a fight's more interesting when your opponent can fight back. We have unfinished business anyways," Wilder says while his voice increases in seriousness. He may not have been worried in the slightest about what happens next, but he was certainly not about to play it off like it was nothing. This wasn't just revenge for him anymore. This was to protect a fellow comrade.

The tall one, who Dash presumed to be the leader of the team, just laughed back at the heir to Wilder Industries. After that, he turned back to Dove and Lark.

"Looks like you didn't finish the initiation on him, guys. He's still moving"

"Sorry, Cardin," Dove responded. "We'll fix that right away." He and Lark both charged forward without a second thought and tried to corner Dash. He looked at the two and only responded with a smirk. _Idiots._

Within a split-second reaction time, Dash leaped forward to avoid the two pursuers. He planted his footing onto a table and something happened to catch his adversaries' attention, especially Cardin's.

"Are the freak's feet glowing?! Just like his eyes!" the leader of Team CRDL cried out.

As quick as a flash of lightning, and with a gun blast resounding loudly in the air, Dash propelled himself off the table and crashed himself as his own projectile into the two assailants. They both get knocked back and go down momentarily. His eyes glow brighter as he stares Cardin down from across the Signal Light Café as the loud bang still echoed in the area.

"Top of the line, Schnee Dust Company approved greaves. Only fit to serve the best fighters. Unlike those primitive tools you call weapons." There it was. The confidence had once again returned to only flee suddenly in place of arrogance. Dash really had no idea how to change these feelings because he has utilized them for so long. Opponents, media, even his family have been subject to it. Yet, in this situation, Dash felt it was so deserving, so satisfying, to put these punks down.

The snide remark led Cardin to slam his fist down on a tipped over chair. He motioned for the boy with the mohawk, one he called Russel Thrush, to run in next. Russel charged at Dash with quicker agility and more heightened awareness compared to his other two teammates. While on the run, he pulled two daggers out of their holsters, each of which modified with revolving dust chambers. Dash took a half step back to get into a ready stance.

Thrush went for a swipe at Dash's side with the blade in his right hand, but feigned the attack and rolls to the left. Wilder stepped back to reassess himself before Russel jumped up, aimed down his target, and threw one of his knives directly at Dash's head. Dash jumped up and flipped back. The dagger deflected off one of his electrified boots and is sent skyward. Russel threw a chair at him next, using it as a distraction so he can advance his position on Dash. He pushed the chair aside, but when he sees Russel running him down, he picked it up and swung it at him, forcing him back. He then looked up to see the falling dagger and fired off his greave at it. It is sent hurling towards Thrush at a monumental speed. Russel dodge rolled out of its path, the dagger missing him by inches and ending up piercing the wall behind him.

 _These guys seemed so unified when picking on newbies, but they're so disorganized and there is no teamwork! And that leader just sends out his cronies to…_ Dash's thought was abruptly interrupted by Cardin finally making his entrance into the melee. He slammed a giant mace down at Dash's position, leaving a trail of fire in its wake. Dash flipped back in the nick of time, giving himself some breathing room between him and Cardin.

He paused and took a deep breath, only for his concentration to be broken again by a reemerging Sky Lark. Dash jumped up to avoid his low strike with his halberd. Wilder lands on the halberd and shot off his boots again to get himself back farther. He landed next to the other boy CRDL was tormenting, who is dusting himself off from earlier.

"Hey, kid. Mind returning the favor and helping me out? Like ASAP!" Dash said, turning to the boy without taking his eyes off of his prime targets. The boy did not respond. Instead, he grabbed a device, what seemed like a tablet that probably belonged to him and was taken away from him during the earlier incident, and strapped it to his arm. He began typing away on it without even glancing at anything else beyond his screen.

"Hey what the hell are you doing?! Computer games can wait! There's more important stuff happening here!" Dash was stunned. He couldn't believe the guy would ignore the danger directly in front of him and just stare at a computer on his arm.

Meanwhile, all four members of Team CRDL have regained their composure. Dash flipped a table and ducked behind it in order to protect himself and his newfound "ally" from shots from Dove's weapon. _Great. Now their teamwork is flawless and I can't get my guy to do anything! He better be doing something to help on that toy…_ With a swift call of "Game over!", Cardin motioned to end the scuffle.

All of a sudden, Dash heard different, unrecognizable noises in the area. It was nowhere near the sound of an advancing Team CRDL. Dash looked up to see Beacon's defense mechanisms were activating as turrets began coming out of the wall.

"Is the school under attack?!" he yelled. The quiet boy next to him shook his head and pointed at the turret above their heads. Upon further investigation, Dash realized they were pointed at Team CRDL, not some unknown intruder.

"Whoa. What the…?" was the only response Dash could come up with. He peeked over his table fortress to see CRDL paralyzed with fear and confusion. The other boy stood up tall with the foursome of bullies locked on in his sights. He held his arm out and the device strapped to his arm transformed before Dash's very eyes into a machine gun of its own.

"You have made a mistake, and messed with the wrong tech expert. Now leave," the boy finally spoke up, quietly but firmly, to his newly met enemies. All four of them slowly raised up their hands and backed up a few paces, with their weapons in no position for an attack. Dash stood up, breathed a sigh of relief, then looked at the boy astonished. He could feel the electrical surge output from the turrets surge through him. An indicator that something had triggered them. _Did he just trigger Beacon's automated defenses? Impossible!_

The crowd, which had grown to nearly 30 people, wanting to see the action, applauded when Dash and the other student stood triumphant. However, breaking through the mob of people and towering over most of them was none other than the combat training teacher, Glynda Goodwitch. And she did not seem pleased with what was in front of her when she reached the front of the pack.

Miss Goodwitch reached down to her right boot and pulled out a riding crop. Dash cringed slightly, half expecting it to smack him across the face. However, with a graceful swing of the crop, Glynda was magically repairing the Signal Light. Within only a few moments, the stern professor had rearranged all of the chairs and tables to their original positions, as if a fight never happened, all with a flick of the wrist.

Once the debris was cleared, Goodwitch then turned to the brawl's combatants with a scowl still plastered on her face. She was absolutely steamed by the fact that the school's defenses were basically hacked. The crowd took this as a perfect opportunity to walk away before facing any punishment from the empowered blonde.

"Team CRDL. Why am I not surprised? You would think threats of expulsion would be enough to deter you from stupidity. And you, young man. This is not the best way to be making first impressions here," she says while turning her attention to Dash. He leaned back and shrunk in his stance. The trademark Wilder cockiness was gone as he was truly intimidated by the presence of Glynda, from her physical stature to her rank at Beacon. After a moment of being frozen like a deer in headlights, Dash finally cleared his throat and spoke.

"P-Professor Goodwitch, I'm sorry. I only did what I thought was right by protecting him," he said while pointing to his ally in the brawl. Or rather, where he was once standing. Dash turned to see the boy was gone from his sight. _Oh come on,_ he thought. Glynda tapped her heel to the ground, unamused that the other boy had disappeared. Dash panicked. He looked down with a million thoughts racing through his head, trying to devise a plan.

In the end, he ran.

He had no idea where to. All he knew is that he had to get away from the angry Goodwitch. After a stern order at Team CRDL to stay put, which none of them dared to defy at this point, Glynda started marching after him in order to track him down. Dash hung a hard left around a building. Then, something tugged at the #1 on his shirt and pulled him back between a bush and the building.

Dash peeked through the leaves to see Miss Goodwitch pass by. He sighed of relief then turned around to locate what had pulled him down into the shrubbery. Crouched next to him was Dash's partner in battle, with the glow of his tablet illuminating the dark space behind the bush. After a couple moments to check if the coast is clear, the duo stood up.

"Thanks, man. I owe ya one there," Dash said. The boy simply nodded back shyly. After a couple moments of silence, he spoke up.

"And thank you for saving me from those bullies back there." Wilder smiled in response to that.

"I'm Dash, by the way. Dash Wilder."

"I'm Solomon Roxos," he said, still quiet. The light of the fading day shone off of Solomon's glasses, hiding his crimson eyes behind them. His hood had fallen, revealing short black hair. Due to the encounter, his hoodie was stained with dirt and his purple sweatpants with a single gray stripe down the side of it were scuffed. However, he simply shrugged off his current appearance and fished out of his pocket a pair of headphones that matched his color scheme.

"By the way," Solomon continued, "that is an impressive semblance. You may not have shown much of it but I was able to pick it up. Electricity is a great power."

Dash smiles but before he is able to respond verbally, he is cut off by two approaching figures. One is Pyrrha Nikos, now clad in her bronze battle gear, and the other is a girl Dash did not recognize. She walked towards Dash in a pair of brown boots and black shorts. Her top did not reach her waist and her faded red jacket left her toned stomach exposed. Amber eyes peered at Dash and reddish hair flowed in the wind. Her figure was quite curvaceous and in excellent condition, but her most distinguishable physical trait was the pair of fox ears on her head and the tail behind her.

As the two walked towards Dash, Solomon fished a pair of royal purple headphones out of his pocket. He quickly put them over his ears, pulled his hood up, and turned on one of his music playlists. Dash turned to see him walk away.

"Wait, Solomon! Where ya going?" But Dash could not get his attention due to his headphones. Dash sighed.

Once the mystery woman approached Dash alongside Pyrrha, she eyed Dash up and down, then burst into a fit of laughter. Dash cocked his head in confusion.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"Your face when Goodwitch walked in was frickin priceless!" she said amidst the laughter. The girl thought it was so funny she could barely stand and had to wipe tears from her eyes. Dash simply crossed his arms and tried his hardest not to react.

"Auburn, please stop. Dash was doing the right thing," Pyrrha intervened in Dash's defense.

"I know I know but it was too great! He looked like he was gonna pee his pants!" the girl, whom Pyrrha called Auburn, continued.

"Are you done? Because last time I checked, standing up for what's right is what shows strength. Maybe you should be taking notes," Dash stated sternly. That snapped the fox faunus out of her laughing haze and placed a serious look on her face.

"What's that supposed to mean? You shouldn't be lecturing me on strength and right and wrong, punk! Not if the Atlas rumors are true." Dash visibly scowled and Auburn cracked her knuckles whilst continuing. "I know you. Wilder…and I'm certainly not afraid of putting nothing but a mere critic of me in his place! I've done it all my life. I'll show you strength!"

The two stepped up to each other, both ready for confrontation. However, before any fighting ensued, Pyrrha stepped in between them both and forced them back.

"That's enough, both of you! Auburn, walk away. We'll continue our tour of Beacon," Pyrrha said, trying to get Auburn away. Auburn smiled at Dash, waved jokingly, and turned around to walk off. Before rejoining her, Pyrrha leaned over to Dash and whispered in his ear, "The Dash I saw defending others in the café. That's the Dash I want to see. Not the one I pushed in the hallway. Well done." She smiled and jogged off to catch up with Auburn.

 _Atta boy Dash, you finally did something right._

The last few hours of the day passed uneventfully. Neither Dash nor Solomon faced major disciplinary action for the fight. He only half listened as Ozpin drawled on through his usual first day speech of untapped potential. Dinner came and passed, and soon, Dash found himself sitting down in his sleeping bag on the floor, with all of the other students exchanging in for the semester.

 _Thank God we get teams tomorrow. I need a dorm. A bed._

But Dash couldn't sleep. The events of his first day at Beacon whirled around in his mind endlessly. He sat up and looked down in thought.

 _Today has been weird. I stood up for myself during that fight, but I continue to show that I'm far from where I wanna be._ He stops for a moment. _And Atlas… why can't Atlas just go away?! I wish it never happened!_ He slams his fist on his sleeping bag so it wouldn't make any noise. Almost everyone else there was asleep, with one or two others awake, nervous about the big day tomorrow.

 _Tomorrow, I can finally put Atlas aside. No questions. No media. No annoying pests. Damn faunus…It's just me and the task ahead. Survive. Just the way I like it._ As he looks up and finally prepares himself for sleep, he sees Sapphire walking towards her designated sleeping area. _Hey there, cutie._ Sapphire turns to see him, winks, and quietly mouths "Good luck tomorrow" before laying back down and pulling her blankets over her.

 _You too, Sapphire. Good luck._ Dash pushed any mental distress to the back of his mind and slowly dozed off.

* * *

 **Hey guys, Sage here. Thanks for being patient with me. I've been losing and regaining motivation to write for a while now. But with a new laptop, and staying committed to a writing schedule, these chapters will be coming a lot faster. I have big plans with this story and the questions that still need to be answered.**

 **I also have a crossover in the works, so be on the lookout for that!**

 **Make sure to keep up with Dashed Dreams, and send me any feedback. Until next time, this is Sage signing off.**


	4. Chapter 4: The Players

**A long time coming, but here it is! School has been kicking my ass lately when it comes to time, so writing time has been forced into the backseat. But, better late than never! ~Sage**

* * *

The stage was set. The audience was filing in, awaiting what comes out of the following spectacle. All that was left was for the players to take their role at center stage. And they were making their final preparations.

Despite all of the turmoil Dash faced both internally and externally yesterday, he slept like a rock throughout the night, and felt well rested for initiation day. His focus was solely on what laid ahead of him, not any of the events that transpired yesterday. No making impressions. No changing attitudes. Just an all-out brawl with him pitted against whatever forces awaited in the Emerald Forest.

And Dash couldn't be happier about it.

He stood by his locker and went through his last-minute checklist. The number 1 on his back displayed prominently to any other huntsman or huntress passing by. They knew him from afar, the tabloids covering him well, but they didn't know what he was capable of doing. And Dash planned on teaching them that very soon.

Dash sat down and inspected his greaves before battle. They were as white as the coldest winter, with one exception: a black snowflake displayed prominently on the front of each of them - the logo of the Schnee Dust Company. He paused his inventory for a moment to think about their past. They were a gift from Mr. Schnee himself, crafted by his finest weapon specialists and blacksmiths in order to fit Dash perfectly. Dash even got to watch as the dust chambers around the ankles were carved out and infused with the Schnees' finest dusts. Weiss was almost as happy as he was that day, to see him finally join her in the rank of the land's protectors-in training. Dash fell in love with those greaves immediately, and quickly learned how to master their art form of battle; to this day, they were his first weapon, and his only weapon.

Dash's reminiscence of the past was interrupted when he looked up to see a pair of black and blue-striped boots standing in front of him. His eyes gazed up to see Sapphire standing in front of him with hands her on hips. She had the same smile on her face that she wore yesterday, seeming to be unchanged by Beacon's opening challenge. The only difference between her then and her now was that she had something strapped to her back that took Dash a moment to recognize. It was a quiver.

"Hey Sapphire," Dash greeted with a bright smile before his curiosity overrides any further courtesy. "Is that a quiver?" he ponders.

"Yeah," Sapphire responded, "Loaded with dust-tip arrows, molded for precision." She smirks while saying this.

"That's pretty cool actually. It's nice to see someone using a dying technique. Not many even consider archery over today's technology of guns and swords," Dash says.

"Yeah. I just wish it wasn't that way. Since bows and arrows are going out of style, these arrows are really hard to find. That and thanks to the rising dust prices, these things are really expensive. I'm not sure I could move on to a different weapon. I'm not a sharpshooter with a gun." Her smile actually faded slightly as she looks down.

"Well, maybe I can help with that," Dash said confidently. "I obviously have contacts, and within a few phone calls I could probably have arrows at the ready for you to use."

Sapphire looked up, her face now jolted with excitement, and pushed her hair out of her eyes. "Wait, you serious? You'd really do that?! Dash, I could hug you right now this is so great!" _Please do,_ Dash thought. Sapphire finally calmed herself and sighed with relief. "Thank you so much. It would be so great to have you as a teammate." she said.

"My pleasure," Dash assured. This felt right to him, but he could not pinpoint the reason why. Was it because he was doing something right, to help out a friend and possibly future teammate? Or was it because he was able to flaunt his capabilities of being a member of the kingdoms' upper class, and that this was just fuel to his ego? That he'd have someone like Sapphire on his team. _Oh c'mon don't do this now. You can't start having an internal meltdown now! You have people to impress…_ He shook all of his thoughts and looked up to hear an announcement from Glynda Goodwitch on the loudspeaker.

"All transfer students, please report to the cliffs for the beginning of the initiation mission."

"That's our cue," Dash spoke with a newly-found determination. Sapphire smirks and nods before joining Dash on the walk out of the locker room.

"Ya know, I'm still curious about you and this whole Atlas situation," Sapphire continued. "Especially because I'm hearing rumors about one of the members of Team NDGO from Shade. Did they have anything to do with it?" Dash couldn't believe he still wasn't safe from the media buzz. _I guess only the battlefield itself is safe for me._

"I have had no prior incidents with any member of Team NDGO. I've never even heard of them," he responded, putting on the same act he usually has in a press interview. It was an all too familiar feeing for Dash, and he hoped to escape it by the time he had entered one of the huntsman schools. But, he knew it wouldn't be easy, and disappear within a day.

"Really? Because I just kept hearing the name Dew Gayl thrown out several times. Or was it Octavia Ember?" Sapphire kept pressing on, not even sure for herself of all the circulating rumors. Dash tried to keep his frustration in check with the same faked composure he keeps with anyone. Although, in the back of his mind, he knew this one was different, due to the feelings of attraction he had been experiencing toward Sapphire. This time, he decided to react to the special case differently and put a hand on her shoulder. This momentarily surprised the archer, and she looked over to Dash.

"Sapphire, I've never even heard of either of those girls or Team NDGO altogether. Now, step away from the rumor mill for me, and please quit the constant questioning," Dash said, almost pleadingly. Sapphire sighs apologetically and nods before going quiet with her smile softened.

"I can't believe I did it again. I'm sorry. It's just habit for me at this point," she said.

"Don't worry about it. I know you don't mean anything by it. You're just curious. You're not like them," Dash spoke to her reassuringly. And he meant it. Sapphire was only wanting to quell her curiosity, not to tarnish one of the most well-known names in Remnant just to have the "latest scoop." Dash secretly felt glad that after all this time he could still distinguish that difference.

Sapphire nods. "Thanks for understanding, Dash." They both share a smile and then realize that their destination was within their sights. In front of them stood several students on launch pads, doing last-minute stretches and looking overall raring to go. In between them and the cliff stood Glynda Goodwitch, with her riding crop put away and traded instead for her scroll as she was keeping notes of the fighters before her. Next to her was the headmaster of Beacon, Professor Ozpin, with his eyes locked on the students, and his gray hair being blown slightly in the breeze. He held his cane in one hand, and his coffee mug in the other, as if it was glued there permanently. Beyond them was the awaiting Emerald Forest, some one thousand feet below where they were standing. As Dash and Sapphire took their starting positions, Glynda typed more onto her scroll.

"Those should be the last ones, Professor Ozpin. We're ready to start," she stated.

"Excellent," Ozpin replied before addressing the others. "I believe you all know what this means. The implications of today. This is your first step onto the path of becoming the huntsman and huntresses you've set out to be. To become the protectors and guardians of not only the kingdom of Vale but all of Remnant. This is also the determining factor of who will be your teammates for your time in Beacon. The first person you make eye contact with will be your partner, and you will learn to work together quickly. It is in your best interest to pick someone you work well with. Otherwise, everything in that forest will kill you." Dash turned to see the others still looking unphased by the awaiting threat facing them.

Ozpin continues, "All of your training up to this day will be put to the test. Professor Goodwitch and I shall be monitoring all of you closely in the Emerald Forest, but we will not intervene. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path or you will die."

Glynda picks up where he left off. "Each pair of two must return a relic located at an ancient temple across the forest. Afterwards, the teams will be selected based upon which relic you take. Any questions?" Silence fills the air, nothing but the sounds of the wind an occasional squawk of a bird.

"Good. Now take your positions," Ozpin concluded before pausing for a moment. "Oh, and good luck finding the most appropriate landing strategy." As soon as he said this, the first pad catapults a student into the air, sending him falling to the forest below. Soon they were being sent off one by one into the forest.

When Sapphire is on deck to be propelled off, she turns to Dash and winks, saying, "Good luck! Hope to see you in that forest." And without another moment passing by, Sapphire was gone, sent into the air.

"You too," Dash stated to himself with a smirk before he too found himself hurdling toward the forest. Ozpin simply looks out into the distance, seeing them all disappear one by one behind the thick wall of trees. He sips his coffee casually and pulls out his scroll to begin grading and evaluating. "The players have been cast onto center stage. Let's hope the spotlight doesn't blind them."

And then, nothing.

* * *

For the next few moments, Dash couldn't feel a thing. Despite gliding through the air, there was no distress running through his mind as he continued to fall to earth. It was as if he blacked out midair, but he was indeed conscious. He just wasn't reacting.

Then, a shock. Dash finally realized the intensity of the situation surrounding him, the fact that he was plummeting to the ground. He had to find himself what Ozpin called a landing strategy, and he had to find it fast, or this mission would end quickly for him. Thinking quickly and avoiding panic, Dash twisted his body in the air to put his feet down below him and aimed his trajectory down. He ended up falling onto a tree branch, which he planted both of his feet on before firing a shot off his greaves, propelling him to the next tree. He can hear the snap of the branch breaking behind him as now he finds himself running through the trees.

He ducked his head and wrapped his hands around the next branch in his path to swing himself to the ground. He tucks and rolls through, landing on one knee. Dash quickly scanned the area. He can already hear the faint roars of Grimm coming from what seemed to be all directions. He looks to his left, due east, and deduces that that area is where Sapphire landed. He wasted little time in starting his run to hopefully find the ideal partner he had set his sights on. Within a second's notice, Dash was in full sprint through the thick, seemingly endless forest, even firing his greaves to go faster.

As he trekked through the woods as fast as he can, his mind began to wander. _What if I don't get Sapphire on my team? Who's left? Well, there's that quiet kid, Solomon. Maybe not the most conversational person out there, but he seems to be pretty good in a fight. Resourceful. A good ally._ All of a sudden, another roar snapped him back to reality, this one much closer than any other previous calls. The Grimm were closing in on him. Dash tried his best to not think much of it and keep a level head. He was feeling confident, cocky even, that no creature could catch him. But, they cut could cut him off from his path, and Dash learned that quickly as an Ursa emerged from the bushes and charged directly at him.

Dash didn't panic. He leapt into the air and reached for one of his boots to spin the dial of dust chambers so that fire was selected. He tucks into a flip and slams his foot down, causing a row of flame to erupt, directed at the Ursa. The bear-like monster stopped and reacted in pain as the flames began to shoot at it and engulf its surroundings. As soon as it attempted to shake off the fire and continue its attempts of assault on Dash, the blush-haired Wilder was already a step ahead, and before it could even utter another menacing roar, Dash ended its life with one swift kick to the jaw. Without any more hesitation, he pressed on, continuing the task at hand with a one-track mind.

But, there were still more creatures of Grimm still pursuing the heir to Wilder Industries. He could hear the rampaging sounds of a stampede, signaling more Ursas nearby. Dash wouldn't be deterred; he continued his mission. Until again, the fearful foes blocked his path. But, this time, the problem was much larger. Instead of one Ursa, there were now three, headed by an Ursa Major in the middle, all targeting the huntsman before them.

Dash knew it would be a challenge to take on all three, and while he knew he could do it, in the back of his mind, he knew he couldn't afford to expend the energy. He had to save his strength to get to the "relics." With quick thinking, he skidded to a stop in his tracks, spun around for momentum, and kicked the tree next to him, blasting it in the process. The tree fell down in front of his path, separating Dash from the oncoming threat. He sighed of relief and shouted "Timber!" while looking around to find a way around the Grimm.

However, his break was short-lived. The Ursa Major had crashed through the fallen tree, sending splinters everywhere. "Crap!" Dash cried out, as he turned around and found himself running the other way, the Ursa giving chase. He tried to think of a way out of this, to kill the fiend of darkness and regain the progress he was losing by the second. But, the situation didn't favor him. He could not let this stop him though. He stops and turns into a ready stance, but his eyes go wide when the Ursa immediately swipes at him with claws as sharp as razor blades. Dash jumps back as it continues to bear down on him, much closer than he had anticipated.

The Grimm looked monstrous and was poised for another strike. Dash sidesteps, making sure to keep vigilant. He was prepared for another defensive maneuver, when all of a sudden, the Ursa's attack was interrupted mid-strike. It was forcibly pulled back, by what Dash couldn't figure out, until he saw the chain wrapped around its neck. Before he could even register what was happening, a familiar voice yelled out, a voice which Dash could not pinpoint an identity to.

"What are you waiting for? Hit it already!"

Dash snapped back onto the offensive, and charged the now incapacitated Ursa Major with increased speed. His eyes glowed a bright yellow, and an electrical armor began to enclose his boots. He aimed a hard kick to the bear's stomach, before following up with an impressive roundhouse kick to the head. The finishing blow decapitated it completely, causing blood to splatter.

The corpse soon fell, and revealed standing behind it was one Auburn Vulpes, with a nine-tails style whip made out of metal and chain in her hand. She was breathing heavily and her muscles seemed strained from having to hold the beast back. Dash stopped and his lowered his guard as the two of them stared each other down.


End file.
